Your Turn — Wednesday, Jan. 16

Updated 4:40 pm, Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A reader comments that when uninsured minimum-wage workers are covered in health plans, many chronic diseases/conditions will be detected before they become more serious.

A reader comments that when uninsured minimum-wage workers are covered in health plans, many chronic diseases/conditions will be detected before they become more serious.

Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press

Your Turn — Wednesday, Jan. 16

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Cause of violence

Re: “'Chainsaw' slices way to the top,” A Section, Jan.7:

The Newtown, Conn., tragedy apparently raised awareness among both gun-lovers and gun-haters in this country. But forget about the pros and cons of gun usage and violence. Concentrate, instead, on cause and effect.

I feel violent video games and other forms of entertainment have triggered a deep-seated turmoil in both youngsters and adults throughout the world, not just America. Yet, so-called learned scholars say this new eruption of violence has nothing to do with what we are experiencing.

According to the “People” feature in the Express-News (A Section, Jan. 7): “It took Leatherface and his chainsaw to chase tiny Bilbo Baggins out of the top spot at the box office.”

The news media report daily the seriousness of our ever-increasing spending because we don't have funds required for such spending. All 50 states have similar or worse problems. Yet our Texas Democrats in the Legislature in Austin keep clamoring for more and more money to fully finance all education requests,

Every few months, the E-N prints Other View comments from state Reps Mike Villarreal and Trey Martinez Fischer, and state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte. The articles all say the same thing: “We need all these billions of dollars that the terrible anti-education Republicans refuse to fund.” These articles are always very general — we need 2 more billion here and a few billion there.

I have yet to hear a Democrat state legislator seriously address how all these “billions of dollars” are being spent. They will tell us we will lose math and science teachers to scare everybody. Why don't they conduct a study about how much we spend on education overhead.

How many superintendents do we have in the state? Here in Bexar County alone we have 16.

We know all superintendents make at least $100,000 — some more than $200,000. Each has a number of assistants, deputies and vice superintendents; and, they all have a staff who are all well paid. How much money are we talking about? Also, each school district has a director of maintenance, one for transportation, and a district police department.

How about our school boards? They hire and fire superintendents for silly reasons — paying off the fired with lots of money, and hiring a new one for more than they paid the one they fired!

We do have a very serious funding problem, and it isn't always about funding availability.

Diego J. Pena

Take control

I commend the Express-News for its editorial on the critical need to implement the Medicaid expansion in Texas. By adding the many uninsured minimum-wage workers throughout the state, this health care plan will detect illness early and prevent the life-threatening and chronic diseases that are so prevalent today.

These folks can take control of their lives and be more productive citizens as a result.

Our governor and the Legislature can make us proud if they will overlook politics and accept this program for Texas.